Because of our Christmas Musical this year, I was reminded of not only the words of the Shepherds, but the words of Anna and Simeon as it impacts worship from then on.
First the Shepherds. In Luke 2:20 we see them returning to their sheep "glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard." As they went they were telling their story. They literally became the first evangelists of the gospel age. Their response to seeing the fulfillment of the coming of the Messiah and therefore redemption, was glory and praise. Should or would it be any different today as we tell the story of His coming?
Simeon had been given the assurance by God's Spirit that he would not die without seeing the Messiah come. The Old Testament Jews revered the Scriptures; nevertheless, the Old Testament was full of unattainable precepts, unfulfilled promises, and unexplained procedures.
Old Simeon understood that these seeming deficiencies could be resolved only in the person of Christ (Dan. 9:24-26). Christ was the answer to his incomplete Bible. The Spirit of God made clear to him that he would see Him when He came. Simeon gazed into the face of a Babe and and at the same time saw the face of God manifest in the flesh. Simeon knew that Israel would reject the heaven-sent Savior when he told Mary that a sword would pierce her heart, a reference to Calvary - His purpose for coming.
When Anna saw Simeon holding the Babe and the light of glory in his face, she knew He had come. She knew Simeon's quest had come to an end and her ministry was to begin. She immediately began her new ministry of thanksgiving to God, taking up her post in the temple and telling everyone the good news that the Messiah had come.
The threefold cord of worship had been woven starting with the Shepherds, Old Simeon and finally Anna. It is interesting that in Ecclesiastes 4:12 it states, "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." And then it is of interest that Paul states in 2 Corinthians 13:1, "This is the third time I am coming to visit you and as the Scriptures say, 'The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'" This threefold cord of worship and testimony of redemption lays the foundation for worship until He returns. mjm
